Bear Grylls' skills: how to motivate your team

As a former member of the SAS, a survival expert and an adventurer, no one knows how to deal with adversity, pressure and competition better than Bear Grylls. Now, in his new GQ column, Grylls will apply his knowledge and training to a more professional environment. From settling disputes and coping with criticism, to staying in shape and perfecting leadership skills, Bear will use his military training and strategies for coping with adversity to offer a unique insight into workplace survival and personal development. It's an urban jungle out there...

During my time in the military, I was once in the desert with my team. We were waiting for a helicopter extraction that had been delayed by several days and we were out of water. We still had 15km to the pick-up point.

There are few things more debilitating than extreme thirst. I was in a bad state and my sergeant could see that. He only had one last capful of water, but despite his own exhaustion and dehydration, he gave it to me.

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I've never forgotten that act of kindness. It was the kindness, more than the water itself, that kept me going. From that point on I'd have yomped to the ends of the earth for that man.

Conversely, we've all come across people who think the best way to motivate a team is to shout and cajole them - to let everyone know they're the boss and that unless they work harder they are in trouble. But fear is never a strong motivator. It is a transient trigger to keep going, but not a lasting, empowering form of leadership or inspiration.

The greatest leaders in history are always the ones who lead by example. Their humility, kindness and respect for the men or women in their team is what distinguishes them.

Think of Ernest Shackleton, who, when disaster struck in the frozen wastes of the South Atlantic, demonstrated his determination not to lose a single man by shouldering more than his share of the burden and by risking his own life to save theirs. Think of Winston Churchill, who, when darkness was at the gates of the civilised world, motivated an entire country to fight by telling them to "Never give in - never, never, never, never" and then refusing to capitulate in the face of overwhelming adversity. Because when the going gets tough and you need your team right there with you, you will not prevail unless they trust and respect you.

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But trust and respect go both ways. To get it, you've got to give it.

If you want to motivate your team, you have to empower and encourage each member to be the very best they can. That means letting them know you believe in them. It means giving them the opportunity to show what they can do. When they do something great, don't steal their thunder. Let their achievements shine brightly and others will want to follow.

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We all want to succeed. We all want to climb our own personal Everests. But not everyone is prepared to embrace the close partner to success: failure. A good leader and motivator gives you the freedom to fail. They understand that nobody ever succeeded at anything worthwhile without failing a whole lot of times first.

Failure forces us to learn and grow. If your team knows that failure is a necessary part of the process to success then they won't fear it. And when a team can embrace failure, grow from it and become closer through it, then you will be firmly on your way to greatness.

And finally, you might be its leader, but you're still part of the team. So remember: example, example, example. That's how great leaders and motivators inspire - and when people feel inspired it always brings out the best in them.